Scion FR-S

Neither Scion nor parent company Toyota is known for sportiness or sex appeal. That’s why the new FR-S, a sporty, rear-wheel-drive twin to the Subaru BRZ (both are made at the same factory in Japan), comes as such a welcomed surprise. Starting at around $25,000 for the six-speed manual (or about $1,000 more for automatic), with a sleek coupe design and a 200-horsepower engine, the FR-S is clearly not just another basic commuter car. USA Today reports that, based on early interest from consumers, both the BRZ and the FR-S—the latter is roughly $1,000 less expensive, by the way—will be monster successes in 2012, perhaps even selling out the inventory planned for the U.S. before the year ends.